France accuses Azerbaijan of interference in New Caledonia riots
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin accused Azerbaijan on Thursday of "interference" in the politics of Pacific territory New Caledonia, hit by deadly pro-independence riots in recent days.
"This isn't a fantasy... I regret that some of the separatists have made a deal with Azerbaijan," Darmanin told broadcaster France 2, while adding that "even if there are attempts at interference... France is sovereign on its own territory, and so much the better".
Azerbaijan rejected the French accusations. "We completely reject the baseless accusations," Azerbaijan's foreign ministry spokesman Ayhan Hajizadeh said. "We refute any connection between the leaders of the struggle for freedom in Caledonia and Azerbaijan."
A gendarme was killed on Thursday in New Caledonia by an "accidental gunshot", bringing to five the number of deaths in unrest since Monday, including two gendarmes.
Source: Agence France Presse
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